The modern day rise of technology has provided a catalyst for music promotion, providing a range of applications that can be used by upcoming artists to help grow their reputation.

We’ve previously discussed the effectiveness of certain social media platforms such as Snapchat and Twitter and how they can be used to put raw talent on the map. In this blog however, we’ll be giving you five of the most useful applications that could help boost your reputation and grow your fan-base…

This might seem an obvious choice for some, but SoundCloud is truly one of the best apps on the market to help new artists increase their number of listeners. The process is simple – record your own audio and upload it to the website for others to hear. To enhance promotion, artists can share their SoundCloud links through their profiles on different social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) so that their friends and followers are guaranteed to be alerted to the newest tunes.

FL Studio is easily one of the best apps available when it comes to making beats. Users have a choice of 133 different instruments and loops, along with an option to record audio and use a virtual piano. If you’re seriously into creating beats, FL Studio also offers a range of software to use on a computer with full prices ranging between £89 and £269 on Amazon.

This one’s a little different… As well as making music, aspiring artists also have to maintain promotion and Hootsuite can provide a massive amount of help in doing just that. We’ve already discussed the importance of social media advertising in this blog, and believe that it’s essential for individuals to use a range of social media platforms in order to boost their range, and number of followers. Hootsuite allows users to manage their Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram accounts under one app. The free version allows the user to schedule posts and messages up to 30 days in advance and track follower growth and content stats on up to three different social media accounts. Both monthly and weekly paid plans are also available offering artists a greater range of options.

Through Spotify for Artists, people who are up and coming in the music industry can manage a music profile available for others to listen to through Spotify by setting a profile image, creating a bio and uploading music. Artists can also learn about who is listening to their music and plan gigs, shows or tours. Setting up an account on Spotify for Artists is free if you already have your music on Spotify, but unless you’re signed to a label, you will usually need to pay a small fee to get your music on the platform. In order to actually upload your music to Spotify, you’ll need to go through a third-party company such as Distrokid. They’ll usually ask for a percentage cut of the money you earn or an up-front fee, but thankfully Spotify has a number of companies to choose from who can help you with uploading your music.

Writing music isn’t always easy, especially for beginners. One of the most difficult elements of writing a song can be the initial brainstorm of what you’re actually going to write about. Fortunately, Songwriter’s Pad can help with just that. The app allows users to break potential songs down to the intro, chorus and multiple verses. Upcoming artists have access to a ‘Get Ideas’ section that offers a word and phrases generator dependent on the mood of the song, a rhyme book that provides rhymes to any searched word and a dictionary. The app also lets artists record themselves, which can help with revising lyrics and practising flow.